


Coffee, Tea, Family

by SoDoLaFaMiDoRe



Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Coffee, Gen, Just the entire family's coffee rituals
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:48:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22471315
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoDoLaFaMiDoRe/pseuds/SoDoLaFaMiDoRe
Summary: The coffee habits of International Rescue are truly the backbone of the organization.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 33





	Coffee, Tea, Family

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for coming! And thank you to my beta Lacertae for correcting my errors! This is mainly a slice-of-life character study of the Tracy coffee habits, hope you enjoy!

There were many things that kept International Rescue running. Grit, determination, the strong bonds of family and friends who dedicated their lives to saving others... and coffee. Coffee in bulk, coffee by the ton. Coffee by the “it costs as much as the salary of an average French worker to pay for the family’s basic yearly coffee habit”. Be it the late nights, the early mornings, the long rescues or the kind of back-to-back-to-back rescues that struck exactly when the Tracys were most exhausted it didn’t matter -coffee sustained them. International Rescue probably wouldn’t  _ exist  _ without the liquid gold.

However, even among brothers who shared the common goal of saving lives, each of them had a unique way of taking their coffee. One cabinet in the kitchen was devoted to their mugs, sugars, and grounds, with two coffee makers and a kettle to deal with the gallons that could be needed on longer missions.

Scott took his coffee black and strong. It was a habit he’d picked up at the RAF, drinking it boiling hot straight from the pot as it might be the only moment he had to gulp it down. Sometimes Virgil worried he was going to drink himself into cardiac arrest with the amount of caffeine he mainlined, but all Tracys were guilty of that sin. Virgil was envious of Scott’s other magic ability, which was slogging home from a tiring mission, drinking an entire pot of coffee and falling asleep within 10 minutes. How he managed to fall asleep at all was a mystery none would ever solve.

John was all about practicality. His family worried about his health on Thunderbird 5, but as long as they kept the bags of astronaut coffee coming by the metric ton he could function. Sure, some days he missed sipping a warm mug, but nothing could beat the view as he stood in the gravity ring and watched the stars dance by. EOS was intrigued by coffee, especially how he drank it even with somewhat negative effects like his heart rate increasing. He more often than not let her analyze his vitals to satisfy her curiosity.

Virgil was a splash of milk and a spoonful of sugar. He was a late sleeper and a hard one to wake. Normally it fell to Gordon or Alan to tempt him awake by wafting a mug into his room. It took him at least two cups to get going, but he had to admit he still couldn’t drink it black. It just did not sit well with him without some dressing up. One particular jaunt into trying new art materials meant he got quite good at coffee-painting, although he had to make a second pot to share when his brothers smelt the brew, lest they drink his supplies.

Gordon, his coffee frankly scared his brothers. He used a blend of instant and white beans that could strip paint from the walls. They refused to drink the coffee he made for himself, especially when he needed to spend a week in 4 for scientific research. The smell was strong, and they all remembered one fateful morning Virgil had sleepily poured himself a mug of Gordon’s special brew. The shattered mug was well worth the laughs as he swore a blue streak, rinsing his mouth with both water and milk to get the burning sensation the acid left out of his mouth. Gordon had just raised his own cup, sipping it as if it wasn’t turpentine and vinegar.

Alan was normally banned from coffee. Grandma still believed in the old wives tale that it would stunt his growth, but that didn’t stop him from sneaking himself cups when he needed to readjust to a 24-hour rhythm after space. His was full of full-fat cream and sugar, trying to mask the bitterness as he gulped it down before Grandma could catch him in the act. His brothers never told, and Gordon would sneak a cup in his room in the early mornings after swimming if he knew his little brother had had a sleepless night.

Kayo would drink whatever coffee was on hand, but when she had the time to treat herself she would brew a fresh pot. Her own ritual involved adding honey to her coffee, no milk, and even after multiple arguments with her brothers they would still gawk when she brought out the little bear. She would just sip, smiling to herself as Gordon over-exaggerated gagging noises for some good-natured teasing. Her favorite part of a coffee, though, was sharing it with her family.

Brains would take any coffee offered when he was “in the zone.” Each Tracy knew to leave him be when he was deep in a project, but whenever a pot was brewed a cup would be brought down and the empty one taken away. It was fifty-fifty if he would even notice their presence when he was deep in the guts of a Thunderbird, but they knew they needed to care for one of the keystones of International Rescue. Besides, it was one way to show appreciation for all he did to keep their father’s legacy alive.

Lady Penelope, true to her English heritage and standing as a fine lady, took her tea with a splash of milk and one sugar. She used fine china, little saucers and dainty cakes when the time called for it. She could drink coffee, but she much preferred a strong English Breakfast. However, during some particularly distressing missions, where she had been awake for over thirty-six hours, she was known to daintily down seven shots of espresso to see the mission through. All without a hair out of place, even if personally her stomach, behind her facade, was in shambles.

Parker took his own coffee black with a spoonful of sugar, when he wasn’t taking tea with Lady Penelope. A holdover from his time as a thief living on the run, he enjoyed to-go coffees and instants that were generic and commonplace. No need to be tracked on a fancy coffee order only one cafe in the city could fulfill when a generic one sufficed. He did enjoy Yorkshire teas, when he could sit with a pot.

Altogether, International Rescue ran on a variety of caffeine. But to each member, no cup was better than the one they could share, be it the rare High Tea at the Creighton-Ward estate, or just collapsing at the table and passing a pot around in silence after a grueling rescue. It was nice to taste and know they were alive, and it comforts the soul. Truly, coffee was the beverage of International Rescue.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please comment, and do tell me how you personally take your coffee! I like instant coffee with flavored creamers!


End file.
